Back Again: The College Football Playoff National Championship Returns to Tampa Bay

By Joey Johnston

Amid Wednesday morning’s revelry at Raymond James Stadium — a power-packed lineup of eight speakers and a one-on-one discussion that reflected the event’s significance — the most appropriate message was summed up in a concise introductory video display just above the stage.

NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tampa Bay

WELCOME BACK …

A dozen years later, the College Football Playoff National Championship will return to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium in 2029, continuing the run of top-flight collegiate championship events to be staged in Tampa Bay.

The area drew rave reviews in 2017 when it held an unforgettable down-to-the-wire CFP title game — Clemson 35, Alabama 31 — before a charged-up packed house of 74,512 fans, still the largest crowd for any sporting event in Ray-Jay’s 28-season history.

“Tampa is an uncommon city,’’ said Rich Clark, the CFP’s executive director. “When I say uncommon, I mean that in the best of ways. You are extraordinary.

“You have cohesiveness in your community, people who want to do good things for your community. You love sports. You’re a destination city with warm hospitality. Your commitment and leadership are what make this all happen. We are delighted to be bringing this event back here.’’

Just like Clemson-Alabama in 2017, the CFP title game remains the premier event in college football. But the format has changed. And so has the look of Tampa Bay.

From 2015-2024, the top four in the CFP Selection Committee Rankings advanced to two bowls as Playoff Semifinal sites, then another city staging the national championship game.

Beginning with last season, the CFP shifted to a 12-team playoff format, which included a field of conference champions and at-large teams that were seeded based on the CFP rankings.

It will be a mammoth showcase for college football — and a worthy addition to Tampa Bay’s expansive menu of sporting events for the college, professional and amateur ranks.

In college sports alone, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission has helped to attract four NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Fours, four NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament early round events, three NCAA Frozen Fours, two NCAA Volleyball Championships, two SEC Men’s Basketball Tournaments, one ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament … and now a second CFP National Championship.

“The transformation that has happened in this city since 2017 has been dramatic,’’ said Santiago Corrada, CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “You’ve heard about our Riverwalk. But we’ve added two districts since 2017, Midtown and Water Street. We have two more districts that may be up and running by 2029 — Gasworx and the Ybor Harbor.

“But our secret weapon is the people. Our mayor (Jane Castor) says this all the time. You can take many of our lessons to other cities, but what you can’t have is our people. And it’s that unity, that spirit of collaboration, cooperation, and friendliness that makes it easy for me to sell this city across the globe. Because what we have here is truly uncommon. You’re going to see an incredible city in 2029 with the growth, the amenities, and the way we know how to deliver on special events.’’

Former TBSC executive director Rob Higgins, the recently-hired CEO of USF Athletics who was instrumental in helping to attract the CFP back to Tampa Bay, added a twist when he sat down with Clark for an informative one-on-one session.

“This will make our staff really nervous … but did you see in our bid response where USF gets the automatic qualifier into the national championship? Because it was really small print on page 1,238,’’ Higgins said, straight-faced.

“It must have been really small print,’’ Clark said, smiling.

Clark said the CFP operates with three core values — integrity, humility, and excellence.

“What we believe is that you get better every day, every time you practice,’’ Clark said. “You’re better this time than you were last time. Every day you go to work, you’re better today than you were yesterday. You’re better this season than last season.

“That is key and critical to us. We are always looking to get better. By the time we bring it to Tampa, it is going to be at such a high level … and you will only help us take it to the next level because we always try to elevate our performance. The playoff has evolved, and it is a great product. But we’re going to keep making it better.’’

Or in terms that are already well understood throughout Tampa Bay:

It’s Gameday. Every Day.

That’s the TBSC’s slogan and mantra.

“It’s not just a cute slogan,’’ Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan said. “It’s a shining example of Team Tampa Bay in action, where all of our partners come to the table asking, ‘What can we do to make this event experience the very best it can be.’ In my 23 years in office, I can tell you that the spirit of collaboration and cooperation with all of our partners has never been stronger.’’

“I’ve been involved in the pitches to attract the Women’s Final Four here for a record (fourth) time and I remember the athletic director at LSU told me, ‘It’s all about the experience for the players, fans and community … I’ve been doing this 40 years and I’ve never seen an experience like Tampa Bay put forward,’’ Castor said. “That’s what we are focused on, making sure that everyone gets to have that experience — on and off the field.’’

Tampa Bay’s political, business, and community leaders see that as their mission.

“Rich (Clark) used the word ‘uncommon,’ and that means ‘outside or beyond a normal experience,’ ‘’ said Ben Milsom, the TBSC’s board chair. “That’s what we do here. We make uncommon things really great, and this will be one of those events.’’

“When you think about what happens in Tampa — the number of shows and events and what has happened to this venue and this city over the last 20 years — it’s amazing,’’ said Eric Hart, CEO of the Tampa Sports Authority. “I’ve worked in five major cities, and I would tell you that I’ve never seen it like what you see here in Tampa. It is truly a special place and we’re so excited that (the CFP) has given us the honor of hosting this event again.’’

“We’re very proud of Raymond James Stadium, the brick and mortar, but what really makes this stadium (special) is the people,’’ said Brian Ford, chief operating officer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “This is truly going to be a monumental event.’’

Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, the former Bucs’ linebacker, played in a national championship game of his own back in 1994, the Orange Bowl, when Florida State defeated Nebraska to win the first national title for Coach Bobby Bowden. Brooks said he knows the thrill of being a student-athlete participant in such a big event.

“I recall the experiences of what it was like to be in the host city and how it made you feel,’’ Brooks said. “The game and the competition will take care of itself. But some of those men who will play in that 2029 (CFP title game), they’ll never play another down of football again. That’s their last down ever … on this field … at this city.

“We’re all thinking, ‘How can we have the best experience possible for those young men and those coaches?’ We want it to be the most memorable experience possible, being part of the city of Tampa. That’s what we’re all dedicated to, and that’s what we’re all going to make happen. We couldn’t be more excited than to get the opportunity to host the showcase of college football once again.’’

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Sites and Results 

2015 — Arlington, Texas (Ohio State 42, Oregon 20)

2016 — Glendale, Arizona (Alabama 45, Clemson 40)

2017 — Tampa Bay (Clemson 35, Alabama 31)

2018 — Atlanta (Alabama 26, Georgia 23 OT)

2019 — Santa Clara, Calif. (Clemson 44, Alabama 16)

2020 — New Orleans (LSU 42, Clemson 25)

2021 — Miami Gardens (Alabama 52, Ohio State 21)

2022 — Indianapolis (Georgia 33, Alabama 18)

2023 — Inglewood, Calif. (Georgia 65, TCU 7)

2024 — Houston (Michigan 34, Washington 13)

2025 — Atlanta (Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23)

The Future

2026 — Miami Gardens

2027 — Las Vegas

2028 — New Orleans

2029 — Tampa Bay